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BULLETIN 

OF THE 

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 

1916: No. 17 



MARCH 20 



1916 



The Beautification of Home Grounds 



BY 
MARY HEARD ELLIS 







Published by the University six times a month and entered as 
second-class matter at the postoffice at 
AUSTIN. TEXAS 



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The benefits of education and of 
useful knowledge, generally diffused 
through a community, are essential 
to the preservation of a free gov- 
ernment. 

Sam Houston. 



Cultivated mind is the guardian 
genius of democracy. ... It is the 
only dictator that freemen acknowl- 
edge and the only security that free- 
men desire. 

Mirabeau B. Lamar. 



D. of D e 
J UN 24 1918 



THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE HOME GROUNDS 

The Yard a Part of the Home. The yard is a part of the 
home and deserves as careful planning as the house. The 
problem is in general the same, that is, there must be places 
for work and places for play, and these must be designed so 
that the greatest possible use may be made of the space available, 
so that the working places are convenient and comfortable and 
if possible beautiful, and the play places comfortable and cer- 
tainly beautiful. The wood shed, for example, should be con- 
venient to the house, but should not be the dominating feature 
of the back yard. 

Reasons for Beautifying 1 the Yard. It may be helpful and 
interesting to consider the reasons for beautifying our home 
grounds. One object of planting the grounds is to give the 
house a setting. Many people fail to realize how unnatural 
and unhomelike a bare house looks sitting on the earth. It is 
an entirely artificial thing sitting on the bosom of nature, and 
needs some relation established between it and its support. 
This incongruity between house and earth, may be relieved by 
planting some growing things near the house, by softening with 
foliage the hard lines of the foundation, by trailing a vine over 
the entrance, by placing a tree or some shrubs or both at the 
sharp corners, by putting flowers and flowing green plants in 
window boxes and porch boxes. By these means the house is 
given a relation to its environment and no longer looks like 
an unwelcome intruder. No matter how beautiful the lines of 
the house, nor how refined the details, some planting near it 
or foliage on it will improve its appearance simply because it 
must be related to the ground it sits on to attain the greatest 
beauty. 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 




Figure 1: A new house before any planting has been done around 
the foundation or near the fences is very bare and unattractive. 




Figure 2: Compare this back entrance with the bare and uninviting- 
effect of the new house in Fig. 1. Here vines and flowers tie the 
house to the ground in a most beautiful way. (Courtesy of 
The Country Gentleman.) 



The Beaut ification of the Home Grounds 




Figure 3: Compare this also with Fig. 1. This planting is very 
beautiful and makes the house much more refined and homelike. 
However, the shrubs in front of the windows have been allowed 
to grow too tall. It is not necessary and usually not desirable 
to shut out light and air in making a planting. 

If the house is not beautiful itself, planting becomes doubly 
important, as not only can much ugliness be cloaked by plants, 
but attention can be centered upon the beauty of the plants and 
then the ugliness that can not be hidden will be rendered pro- 
portionately less noticeable. 

In this eonnectioin it may be said that one of the reasons for 
planting is to screen any unsightly object that must be in the 
yard. The wood shed and the wood pile should be hidden from 
the lawn by vines, trees, or shrubbery. Outdoor toilets should 
be screened by a vine-covered lattice or by thick plantings of 
shrubbery. These ugly but necessary things should be grouped 
near together where possible, and completely hidden from the 
lawn by a dense screen of vines or shrubbery. 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 




Figure 4: Before planting. Compare this with Fig. 5. 




Figure 5: The very ugly and unhomelike-looking place shown in 
Fig. 4 was transformed by the planting of grass and annual vines, 
and the outlining of a walk. Notice how even the pile of rocks 
at the end of the house has been made use of in the beautification 
of the place. 



The Beautification of the Home Grounds 




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Figure 6: If these outdoor toilets must exist, they should, in all 
decency, be hidden from view by vines or shrubs, preferably ever- 
green. 




Figure 7: Here morning glory has been used to screen the closet. 
This does very well for summer, but affords no covering during the 
winter. Honeysuckle would be better because it is evergreen. 
Cannas are a good temporary border, but they die down in winter, 
and should, therefore, not be allowed indefinitely to take the 
place of shrubs which have some winter beauty of form, leaf or 
berry. 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 




Figure 8: This house cannot be said to possess beauty, and yet its 
position under the trees, coupled with the delightfully informal 
planting along the walk and in the side yards, makes the place 
a beautiful home. 

The main object of planting- the grounds, however, is not to 
hide ugliness, though this is often necessary to secure the real 
aim. The true aim of beautifying the yard is enjoyment, the 
gratifying of the sense of order and harmony that is innate in 
all of us. The planting is done near the house to satisfy this 
feeling, for without these accessories the house was found to be 
inharmonious with its surroundings. In the same way, the 
rest of the yard is planted in response to a desire for beauty, 
that is, order and harmony. There is no question that the pos- 
session of a beautiful yard gives a keen delight that is wholesome 
for adults and children alike, and fortunately it is not one of 
those delights that are dependent upon the expenditure of lame 
sums of money. A beautiful garden in which to spend leisure 
hours with family and friends, or upon which to look out for 
refreshment while at work in the house, is a form of enjoy- 
ment that anyone with a little time and energy can acquire. 

In addition to being a satisfaction to the aesthetic sense, a 
garden possesses horticultural and botanical interest and may 
be made a veritable school for the children. 



The Beautification of the Home Grounds 9 

It. should also be the children's play room, except possibly 
for the roughest games. The yard is as much home as the 
house, and should in the same degree meet the needs of the 
family. 

Incidentally, it may be said that well planted grounds add 
to the money value of a place. 

Where and How to Plant. In planting your grounds, remem- 
ber that the house is after all the center of interest in the picture 
you are making. The yard would not be made at all if the house 
were not there. Care should be taken, therefore, to let the 
house take its proper place in the scheme. Do not smother it 
with trees and shrubs. Plant some trees to give protection from 
the western sun. Plant one or two trees and some shrubbery 
and flowers near the house, but be wary of planting many trees 
on the south and east near the house. Plant a few vines on 
the porch, plant flowers or low growing shrubs along the walk, 
and then leave an open lawn. Edge the lawn with a border. 
This border may be made by covering a fence with a hardy 
vine, preferably evergreen, snch as honeysuckle or Cherokee or 
McCartney rose; or it may be made of trees, shrubs, and flowers 
planted in gentle, natural-.secming curves. In this way the 
border will be now shallow, now deep, and be more interesting 
than if planted in a straight line. However, if a yard is quite 
small, it is usually better to keep the edges of the plantings 
practically straight. If graceful shrubs are chosen, the effect 
will be good. Monotony can be avoided by making the "sky 
line" somewhat irregular by having the shrubs of varying 
heights. If a vine-covered fence is used, there should be planted 
in front of it in places some flowering shrubs and other flowers 
to give variety of form and color. By placing these plantings 
carefully, the effect of long, easy, graceful curves may be ob- 
tained. A trimmed hedge may be used for the background of 
the border. This has the advantage of being somewhat formal 
and looking more appropriate from the street side than informal 
shrubs, but has the great disadvantage of being a constant care. 
A trimmed hedge must be perfect to be permissible. 

The border gives a graceful boundary to the lawn and gives 
the family seclusion and privacy. Since the lawn is the out- 



10 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 



door living-room, it should have privacy. For this reason, too, 
it should have some shade. At one end or one side, plan a place 
in which to sit and sew or read, or eat watermelon, or supper 
on summer days. Have here one or two shade trees, or an arbor, 
with some shrubs and flowers, a table, a bench, and a few chairs 
finished to stand the weather. 

In locating' your trees and tall shrubs, consider whether there 
is any attractive view that should not be hidden, whether of 
hills, meadows, or your neighbor's house or trees; and if you 
have such a view, make your plantings form a frame for it. 

It is not essential that the main part of the lawn be in front 
of the house. The size of the yard, the size of the house and 
its location in the yard and with reference to the street are all 
factors in the determination of the position of the principal 
lawn. Some houses are so large that they require a large lawn 
to give them the proper setting. Where a house is small or of 
moderate size, and the lot not large enough to have a large lawn 
on all sides, it is better to place the house near one side of the 
lot, or well within one corner of it, and leave a large space for a 
service yard at one side and for a lawn on the other, or a large 
lawn at the back. A side or back lawn is much more private 
than a front one. Of course, in the country it matters little 
how the lawn is placed unless the house is very near a road. 





Figure 9: A very attractively treated ground, with lawn in front, 
foundation plantings of shrubbery and flowers, and flower garden 
made private by hedge. 



The Beautification of the Home Grounds 



11 




Figure 10: A cordial entrance. This house is placed near the street 
leaving a lawn at the side and flower garden at the back. 

How to Plant. Judicious planting is not the kind that 
smothers the house in trees or shrubbery or covers the windows 
with thick vines that keep the light and breeze out and hold 
the mosquitoes in, nor the kind that fills the yard with trees 
and shrubs dotted about at random, or planted in regular rows 
like a nursery, nor yet the kind that places round, diamond 
shaped, or star shaped beds of flowers in stiff order about the 
yard. In our enthusiasm in planting, we must remember the 
necessity for breeze in summer. We can get beautiful effects 
without interfering with a free circulation of air. Trees and 
shrubs scattered indiscriminately over the yard are bad in 
every way. They make the yard seem much smaller, and give 
it an inhospitable appearance. Planted in this way they are 
also much more troublesome to cultivate than when planted 
in a border. Beds set out in the lawn are subject to the same 
criticisms. See Figures 11, 12, and 13. 



12 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 




Figure 11: This illustration shows two types of planting to be 
avoided: namely, the scattering of trees or shrubs here and there 
without any relation to one another, thus giving the yard a dis- 
orderly and restless appearance, and the planting of geometrical 
bedsi of flowers and "foliage plants" in the middle of the lawn. 
Compare the effect of this yard with that shown in Fig. 12. 




Figure 12: A back yard. Note the spacious, restful effect obtained 
by leaving an open lawn and bordering it with trees, shrubs, and 
flowers. Even here an improvement could be made by planting 
under the trees shrubs tall enough to hide the fence. 



The Beautification of the Home Grounds 



13 




Figure 13: This picturd illustrates a number of bad features. The 
yard is very crowded. No open space whatever is left. There is 
a confusion of formal with informal planting, of trimmed with 
untrimmed shrubs. Formal gardens have their place and are 
very beautiful when properly cared for, but a confusion such as 
shown here has no meaning. The tree that has been trimmed 
until it grew tall and then allowed to grow naturally is a con- 
tradiction. The three trees on the other sidd trimmed in three 
different forms are too individual. They do not harmonize with 
each other nor with their surroundings. The two trees bent and 
trimmed to form the arch look strained and uncomfortable. With- 
out doubt these evergreens look much better in summer when 
surrounded and partly hidden by the foliage of the decideous 
shrubs, but in winter their eccentric forms give the yard a gro- 
tesque appearance. The same labor that has produced this very 
unsatisfactory result could have secured a yard that would have 
been attractive the year round by putting both evergreens and 
decideous shrubs in a border around an open space in front of 
the house. 



14 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

What to Plant. The plantings at the foundation and in the 
border should be of permanent and hardy plants. It cannot 
be too strongly urged that native or thoroughly acelimated plants 
be selected. They will require less care and give more pleasure 
than imported plants. Not only is the chance of success greater 
in growing native things, but there is more distinction in using 
local material than in copying the eastern plantings. Of course, 
one who has time and space to spare might make interesting 
experiments and probably in time get valuable results in trying 
to acclimatize plants not common in the section, but most people 
are too impatient to see their garden realized to be willing to 
wait on doubtful results, even if they have the space to give to 
the experiments. Local nurserymen are now carrying many 
of the native things, and all of the naturalized ones in stock, 
so that they can be bought when it is not practicable to bring 
them in from the neighboring countryside. In making the se- 
lections, think of the winter form of the plant, as well as the 
summer form, the color of the foliage, and the kind, color, and 
season of the bloom. There should be something of beauty 
and interest in the yard the year round. By a careful study 
of the plants best suited to your location, this can be accom- 
plished. It cannot be done in one year, or even two perhaps, 
but will be gradually worked out. while the garden grows more 
beautiful with each season. The shrubs that flower in early 
spring, such as Japan quince, red bud, dogwood, and haws, 
should be particularly made use of. These bloom usually before 
their foliage is advanced, and are made more effective by being 
placed in front of something already in foliage or evergreen. 
Evergreen vines are excellent for backgrounds. There is noth- 
ing more satisfactory than the McCartney (Fig. 14) rose for 
this purpose. It is hardy, evergreen in Central Texas, drought 
resistent, has beautiful foliage and blossoms, and a blooming 
season of several weeks. In using it for a background, do not 
let its beauty be too much hidden. A very beautiful shrub 
blooming later than those just mentioned is the pomegranate. 
This shrub deserves a wide use. It has grace, bright flowers, 



The Beautification of the Home Grounds 



15 




Figure 14: The McCartney rose. An excellent fence covering. Ever- 
green in Central Texas. Blooms for several weeks in summer 
and fall. (Courtesy of Farm and Ranch.) 

beautiful foliage, and fruit that is pleasing to look upon, if not 
to eat. In making your selections of shrubs and trees, choose 
a few that will attract the birds, and thus add further interest 
to your garden. Haws, mulberry and gum elastic are valuable 
for this purpose. 

In planting the border, the general admonition can be given 
to put shrubs in front of trees and flowers in front of shrubs, 
to put the things of middle height in the middle of the border, 
tall ones close behind, and low growing ones in front, but 
this should not be followed so closely that the border shows 
three clearly marked levels of growth. The sky line of the 
trees and shrubs should be varied, and many of the flow T ers 
should come out from among the shrubbery rather than always 
directly in front of it. Use perennials for a large part of the 
floWer edge, but do not deprive yourself entirely of the pleasure 
of trying different effects by the use of annuals. By varying 
these from year to year the border has a fresh interest each 



16 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 




Figure 15: The flowers and foliage in this border have been com- 
bined with care and understanding. Note the effectiveness of the 
trees back of the shrubs, of the flowering shrubs, the tall spikes 
of foxglove, sometimes among the shrubbery and sometimes coming 
almost to the edge of the border, of the lower flowers and foliage 
along the edge. We may not be able to plant peonies, Canterbury 
bells and foxglove, but we can plant beard tongue (pentstemon), 
blue salvia, yarrow and cathedral bells (Eustoma). Grass walks, 
are beautiful but not always practicable. 



The Beautification of the Home Grounds 



17 



season. The Shasta daisy is one of the most satisfactory 
perennials for edging the border. It is hardy, beautiful, and 
has a long blooming season. To give color and greater in- 
terest, clumps of Texas plume, larkspur, or blue sage may be 
planted among the daisies. Plumbago is another most satis- 




Figure 16: Although this border is in general planted according to 
the right principle, that is, of putting low growing things in front 
of a taller background, yet here the effect is mechanical and un- 
interesting. The arbor vitae background is monotonous both as to 
sky line and foliage. The flowers next to the arbor vitae are all 
too nearly the same height, causing too marked a line between 
themselves and the background. Again, a more open and spread- 
ing shrub, such as pomegranate, sumac, or skunk bush, would make 
a more harmonious background for the cone flower than the 
arbor vitae. More appropriate associates for the cone flower than 
the tiny sweet alyssum and the dainty blue bell here used would 
be the wild white poppy, blue bonnets or Texas plume. The cone 
flower or black eyed Susan is one of our most beautiful flowers 
and should be more appreciated, but it should be given a harmo- 
nious environment. 



18 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 





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Figure IS: Here a beautiful effect is secured by the use of Shasta 
daisies alone as a border around the lawn. These bloom from 
spring to fall if watered. This is a new place, and doubtless some- 
thing that has winter beauty will be put with the daisies. 



The Beautification of the Home Grounds 



19 



factory border plant. It is soft and graceful, hardy and 
drought resistent, and has clusters of beautiful delicate blue 
flowers. Alone or in combination with white, pale yellow, or 
even pink flowers it makes a very attractive edging for a 
border, walk, or foundation. 




Figure 19: Plumbago, a beautiful and valuable border plant. It has 
a long blooming season during the dry hot summer and early 
fall weeks. 

The Plan of the Yard. Before beginning any planting, it 
will be found helpful to draw a plan of the lot as you think 
it should finally be. Draw the plan to scale, allowing a quarter 
inch or an eighth inch to the foot or the yard of ground. Lo- 
cate on the plan the house, the wood yard, if there is to be 
one, all outhouses, the vegetable garden, the walks, and then 
the plantings. Indicate first the position of the trees near the 
house, if there are to be any, then the other trees, allowing 
not less than thirty feet for a permanent tree. Then place 
the shrubbery and flowers near the house, and the border 
around the lawn. Decide as nearly as possible what trees, 



20 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 




GR.OUNP • PLAtt 

Fig. 20. 



The Beautification of the Home Grounds 21 



Figure 20: Yard Plan. This plan represents a lot 72 ft. x 130 ft. 
The house is set far enough from the street to give privacy. Only 
ten feet are left between the house and the fence line on the one 
side — enough space for a shrubbery border, a 2 J ft. walk to the 
back, and a flower border next the house. A space 24ft. x 34 ft. 
is left for a utility yard, for wood, for washing and drying the 
clothes, etc.; and a plot 38 ft. x 72 ft. is reserved for fruit or 
vegetables. In this plot there may be a border of flowers that are 
desirable for cut flowers but that do not fit into the scheme of 
planting in the main ground. The divisions of the yard as here 
indicated leave a large part of the ground for the lawn, the out- 
door living room. There is a small lawn in front and to one side 
and a good sized lawn at the back, all bordered by appropriate 
plantings. The table and seats are placed under a shade tree 
directly opposite the steps leading from the porch. Instead of 
this tree, a pergola or summer house covered with vines may be 
preferred. In any case, there should be something of interest at 
this point. The border of trees, shrubs and flowers follows the lot 
line, but the outline is not kept perfectly straight on the inside, 
so that greater interest in the form of the border results. Shrubs 
and flowers are planted around the house, with emphasis given 
to corners and entrances by means of more shrubs or larger ones, 
or even a tree. 

This particular plan probably will not exactly fit the needs of 
any one. It is intended merely to be suggestive of how to go about 
making a consistent and workable plan for a home lot. 



22 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 



shrubs and flowers you will use, and locate them with refer- 
ence to each other, that is, so that one thing will enhance the 
beauty of another rather than detract from it. For instance, 
do not plan to have a mass of scarlet geraniums blooming near 
a mass of crimson cock's comb. No matter how fine each may 
be, these will not look well together, because scarlet and crim- 
son are inharmonious. Likewise corn flowers will not look 
their best directly in front of cannas, because the cannas are 
tall and stiff and have big, broad, smooth leaves and brilliant- 
ly colored flowers, while the corn flowers are low and grace- 
ful, have small delicate leaves, and delicately colored flowers. 
Another thing to be careful of is the placing near together of 
plants and flowers that require much the same sort of cultiva- 
tion. Plants that require much clay and plants that require 
a great deal of sand, or plants that require dry soil and plants 
that require much water, are not practicable together. 




Figure 21: The hard, uncompromising edge of the concrete walk is 
relieved by the border of daisies. The porch boxes would look 
much better if they had been made long enough to fit the spaces 
they occupy. 



The Beaut ification of the Home Grounds 23 

Give thought to the way in which the walks cut into the 
yard. If the distance from the street to the house is short, a 
straight walk with the edges softened by flowers is usually 
best. If a curved walk is used, it must not be too erratic. If 
the curves are too pronounced or too short or too patently 
useless, the effect is very bad. The laying of a proper curve 
calls for more skill than the amateur usually possesses. Fur- 
thermore, a curved walk should have plantings so placed as to 
make the curves seem inevitable. Straight walks are monoto- 
nous in themselves, but can be made interesting by the way 
the edges are planted. Leave a space for plants between the 
house and the walk that goes around it, and then plant some- 
thing on the other side of this walk, too. 

Having made the plan, begin to carry it out by planting 
first the trees. If both border and foundation plantings are 
not to be made the first year, plant first the foundation shrubs 
and some flowers. A very good way is to put in part of the 
peramnent shrubs and some herbaceous annuals, so that the 
first year's planting will show for more in the spring. You 
may not, and probably will not, carry out the plan in all its 
details, but making the plan will be helpful, nevertheless. It 
enables one to get a comprehensive idea of the finished 
grounds, and to study the relation of one part to another. 
Even if, when it is being worked out on the ground, the plan 
is found to be wrong in some respects, the fact of having given 
the matter enough thought to have developed a plan will in 
all probability save the owner many mistakes that he might 
have made had he gone at the planting directly in the first 
place. 

Temporary Plantings. While waiting for the permanent 
plantings to grow, it is usually desirable to plant herbaceous 
annuals and other rapidly growing plants to make a temporary 
garden. These temporary things should not be allowed to 
monopolize the food materials of the soil, however, and should 
be made use of primarily as makeshifts while the permanent 
shrubs and trees are growing. A good effet is quickly achieved 
by planting Georgia cane, castor bean, or cannas, Jack beans, 
moon vine, or morning glories. But these things die in winter 
and leave only unsightly refuse in their places. A shade is 



24 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

quickly realized from box elder, umbrella chinaberry, sycamore, 
hackberry or cottonwood, but the fast-growing trees are short 
lived and brittle, and thus easily broken by wind. A fast- 
growing tree may be planted near a slow-growing one and cut 
down when the permanent tree is large enough to make a 
good shade or to require all the food materials in the soil. 

Directions for Planting — It is impossible to give detailed 
directions for planting in all sections, or to give specific direc- 
tions of what to plant in all localities. The soils and climates 
of the State are so varied that each home-maker will have to 
find out what suits his or her own section best and use those 
things. Below are a few general directions for planting : 

1. Transplant trees and shrubs in winter, between Decem- 
ber first and February first. 

2. If possible, choose a calm, damp day, as the roots will 
dry out much less on such a day than when there is a sunshine 
or wind. A wise precaution is to wrap the roots in damp cloths. 
This is essential in the case of cedar. 

3. Take up as much of the root system as possible. 

4. Take up as much soil with the roots as possible. 

5. Trim the top of the plant to correspond roughly in size 
to that of the root mass taken up. If transplanting evergreens, 
such as live oak or yupon, take all leaves off. 

6. Trim off all bruised roots and trim smooth broken or 
cut ends of roots. 

7. The ground where planting is to be done should be 
plowed and if possible cross plowed. Holes should be dug for 
trees and shrubs a little deeper than the depth of the root 
mass. "Where the soil is hard or rocky, it should be broken 
deeply with dynamite. If* the hole is then filled with good soil, 
the plant has a much better chance. If, manure is used, it 
should be old and well rotted, and should be put in deep 
enough or enough to one side not to come in direct contact 
with the roots. When the hole is ready, the roots should be 
laid out in it carefully and fine soil packed around them. If 
the soil is left loose the plant will be unstable and the roofs 



The Beaut ification of the Home Grounds 25 

will not be quickly and easily nourished. Then a generous 
watering should follow. "When the water is all soaked into 
the soil, a layer of dry soil should be spread over the wet area 
to prevent evaporation. 

If plants are to thrive, they should be watered once a week 
for at least a year. To water, remove a little of the top soil, 
pour on a generous supply of water, let this soak in completely, 
then spread back the dry soil over the damp place. By follow- 
ing this method the moisture remains in the ground for the 
use of\the trees, whereas, if no loose dirt of other mulch is 
used, the Larger part of the water comes back up the capillary 
pores in the soil and is evaporated. No greater mistake can 
be made than to sprinkle a little water on the surface. It 
actually does more harm than good by encouraging the roots 
to come to the surface. After plants have begun to grow, a 
little coarse manure may he thrown around them. This pre- 
vents evaporation, adds food materials, and makes the food 
material already in the soil more easily available for the plant. 

LIST OF TREES, SHRUBS, AND FLOWERS 

The following trees, shrubs, and flowers are suitable for 
Central Texas. Some of the plants listed as annual here are 
perennial in Southern Texas, as the Jack bean, and some put 
down as perennial are no doubt annual in colder sections. It 
is hoped that in time these lists can be extended to include the 
majority of the plants that thrive in each section of the State. 
Following the lists are some suggested combinations of some 
of the plants included in the lists. 

Trees. Fast Growing: box elder, catalpa, chinaberry, cotton- 
wood, Japanese varnish tree, Japanese privet (ligus- 
trum), silver maple, sycamore, willow (in damp loca- 
tion). 
Moderately Fast Growing: Buckthorn (Indian cherry), 

elm, hackberry, honey locust. 
Slow Growing: Black walnut, bois d'arc (Osage orange), 
gum elastic, hickory, live oak, magnolia, pecan, post- 
oak, Spanish oak, water oak. 
Small Trees : Huisaehe, lavender, mesquite, parkinsonia, 
prickly ash. 



26 Bulletin of the University of Texas 

Shrubs. Deciduous: acacia, althea, bridal wreath (spirea 
Reevesii), buckeye, crepe myrtle, coral berry, deutzia 
crenata, devil's elbow (Forestiera), dogwood, elder- 
berry, eupatorium, flowering willow, haw, lantana, 
mountain laurel (pink), plumbago, pomegranate, red 
bud (sometimes white), skunk bush (a sumac, red ber- 
ries in spring), standing honeysuckle, sumac, syringa 
(mock orange), yupon (ilex decidua). 

Evergreen or practically so: algerita (agarita), Amoor 
Eiver privet, cedar (native), Chinese arbor vitae, dusty 
miller, euonymous Japonica, ligustrum (Jananese 
privet), mountain laurel (purple), salt cedar (tama- 
risk), sumac, wild peach, yucca (bear grass and Span- 
ish dagger, also the so-called "red yucca," has coral 
flowers). 
Herbaceous Perennials. Cannas, coral tree, malvaviscus. 

Herbaceous Annuals and Biennials. Castor beans, hollyhocks 
(dwarf), sunflowers. 

Grasses, Reeds and Canes. Cattails (in damp places), Georgia 
cane (annual), Pampas grass (perennial), umbrella 
plant (in damp places, perennial). 

Vines. Deciduous: Boston ivy, clematis (white), clematis 
(wild red and blue), grape vines, queen's wreath (co- 
rona vine), rose vines (Dorothy Perkins, pink, and 
Lady Banksia, white and yellow), sarsaparilla vine, 
trumpet flowers, Virginia creeper, wistaria. 

Evergreen or practically so : Confederate jassamine. coral 
honeysuckle, English ivy, Hall's honeysuckle, Mc- 
Cartney rose. 

Annual: Alamo vine, balsam, cypress vine, gourd, jack 
bean, Madeira vine, morning glory. 



The Beaut ification of the Home Grounds 27 

Plants for Shady Places: Trailing vinca (periwinkle, ever- 
green), sword fern, violets. 

Blooming Season of Flowering Shrubs and Large Herbaceous 
Plants. 

Early spring: bridal wreath, buckeye, dogwood, flowering 
quince (burning bush), mountain laurel, redbud, stand- 
ing honeysuckle, syringa, wild plum. 

Late spring: acacia, four-o'clock, hollyhock, huisache, 
Parkinsonia, pomegranate, yucca. 

Early summer: canna, crepe myrtle, elderberry, flowering 
willow, four-o-clock, hollyhock, lantana, pomegranate, 
skunk bush (berries). 

Mid or late summer, and early fall: althea (single white), 
coral berry (berries), hesperaloe ("red yucca"), lan- 
tana, lavender, malvaviscus. 

Blooming Season of Flowers. 

From spring to fall: perennial: crinnm, hemerocallis (yel- 
low day lily), blue salvia, shasta daisy, wild verbena, 
Annual : petunia, salvia splendens, verbenas, vinca 
rosium, zinnia. 

Spring or early summer, or both : perennial : amaryllis, 
carnation pinks (not the hot house carnation), com- 
mon pinks, flags (for two or three weeks only), habran- 
thus (small red lily), yellow primrose, Salvia Greggii. 
Annual and biennial : ageratum, beard tongue, blue bon- 
net, calendula, candy tuft, cathedral bell, cone flower, 
coreopsis, corn flower, fire wheel (gaillardia), holly- 
hock, wild (wine cup), horsemint, Indian paint brush, 
larkspur, marigolds, mignonette, nasturtium, phlox, 
poppy (Shirley and wild white), primrose, rose moss 
(portulaca), spider wort, standing cypress (Texas 
plume), stocks, sweet alyssum, yarrow (milfoil). 

Late summer and fall : perennial : asters, fire on the moun- 
tain, golden rod, hibiscus Manihot, plumbago. An- 
nual: bachelor button (immortelle), cock's comb, cos- 
mos, peppers (fruit), ruellia, snow-on-the-mountain, 
sunflowers (Maximillian), verbesina Virginica. 



28 



Bulletin of the University of Texas 



Suggestions for Combinations of Shrubs and Flowers. 

Blue and white flowers: (1) skunk bush (background), 
shasta daisies, plumbago; (2) Hall's honeysuckle on 
fence, forestiera, yarrow, blue salvia. 

White, pink, and blue flowers: tamarisk, dusty miller, lark- 
spur, corn flowers. 

White and red flowers: (1) Syringa, Texas plume, daisies; 
(2) pomegranate, and bridal wreath. 

White, pink and red: Amoor privet, hollyhocks. (The 
pinks and reds that occur in hollyhocks are harmo- 
nious, but those that come in cannas usually are not.) 

Pink, white, and lavender: Forestiera, red yucca (really 
coral pink), beard tongue (very pale lavender). 

Yellow and white: Algerita, yucca (bear grass), coreopsis 
or cone flower. 

Blue, white and yellow flowers : skunk bush, golden rod, 
snow-on-the-mountain. plumbago. 




Figure 22: A back entrance. These flowers are on the outside of the 
fence. Think how much more sanitary, how much more beautiful 
your town would be if everybody's back gate looked like this. 



The Bcautification of the Home Grounds 29 

QUESTIONS ON THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE 
HOME GROUNDS 

1. Give at least four good reasons for making the home 

grounds beautiful. 

2. In what places should trees, shrubs, and flowers be planted 

for the best effect? 

3. What is the relation of the house to the yard? 

4. What are the objections to planting trees and shrubs in 

straight rows or to scattering them over the lawn? 

5. Why is it better to plant the edges of a walk than not to 

do so? 

6. How should the walks be laid? 

7. Give reasons for planting native things. 

8. What is the besl use to make of herbaceous annuals? 

9. When planting Bhrubs and flowers of varied heights, kinds, 

of foliage, and colors in a group, what, is, in general, 
the correct method of arrangemenl I 

10. Give directions, for transplanting trees and shrubs. 

11. Make a list of local trees, shrubs and flowers that are 

suitable for use in yards. 

12. Draw a plan of your yard and see wherein you can im- 

prove it. 

13. What methods have been successfully used in certain towns 

and cities to induce evt-vy one to beautify streets and 
yards. 

14. What plan is it practicable for you to carry out in your 

community ? 

REFERENCES : 

United States Department of Agriculture, Farmers' Bulle- 
tins Nos. 181. 18,1, 195. 404. free. 

University of Texas Bulletin No. 22, April 15, 1915, "The 
Trees of Texas," by Dr. I. M. Lewis, free. 

University of Illinois Extension Department Bulletin. "T.he 
Illinois Way of Beautifying the Farm," 50 cents. 

"How to Plan the Home Grounds," by Samuel Parsons. Jr., 
published by Doubleday, Pace & Co.. New York City, $1.00. 



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